We will begin this lesson in Genesis 8:1 “And God remembered Noah, and
every living thing, and all the cattle that [was] with him in the ark: and
God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;”
As we have said many times before, the elements are subject to God’s
command. When God told the wind to blow, it blew. This word assuaged means
the water was made to cease, or was trapped. I believe this water was
congregated in lakes and rivers, etc.
Genesis 8:2 “The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven
were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;” Genesis 8:3 “And the
waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the
hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.” Genesis 8:4 “And the ark
rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the
mountains of Ararat.”
Oct. 17th was the end of the water prevailing; and, at that point, the
water began to subside. There are many people who do not believe this flood
was universal because it was just for the world of the Bible. It really
doesn’t matter. We know that it was a judgment of God on a wicked and
perverse generation. For our study here that is all that is necessary. Mount
Ararat is in Turkey, near the border of Russia. Many expeditions have been
made to find the ark. A number of people have proclaimed seeing the ark.
There are bad storms on this mountain and many have lost their lives
searching for the ark. God does not want us to believe in the ark because we
can see it, but because we know in our hearts the account of the ark was
true.
Genesis 8:5 “And the waters decreased continually until the tenth
month: in the tenth [month], on the first [day] of the month, were the tops
of the mountains seen.”
Their 10th month would be January on our calendar, in fact, January
1st.
Genesis 8:6 “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah
opened the window of the ark which he had made:” Genesis 8:7 “And he sent
forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up
from off the earth.”
Take note of the difference in the raven and the dove. The raven was a
dark bird, not trustworthy to do the job. So, Noah sent the dove, symbolic
of the Holy Spirit of God.
Genesis 8:8 “Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters
were abated from off the face of the ground;” Genesis 8:9 “But the dove
found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the
ark, for the waters [were] on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth
his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.”
The dove has always been a help to mankind. The symbolic meaning of the
dove is throughout the Bible. One of the most prominent was the lighting of
the dove on Jesus at His baptism. the dove throughout the Bible means the
Holy Spirit of God. (Our teacher and guide).
Genesis 8:10 “And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent
forth the dove out of the ark;” Genesis 8:11 “And the dove came in to him in
the evening; and, lo, in her mouth [was] an olive leaf plucked off: so Noah
knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.”
The olive oil is,also, symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Isn’t it strange
that this leaf was an olive leaf? The Holy Spirit is a promise of help to
mankind.
Genesis 8:12 “And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the
dove; which returned not again unto him any more.”
There are all kinds of symbolisms here, as well. (The helper had done
his work). Noah could take it from there. I could stay on this verse a week,
but we are not studying symbols. We are studying from a spiritual
standpoint.
Genesis 8:13 “And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year,
in the first [month], the first [day] of the month, the waters were dried up
from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked,
and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.”
This occurred on April 1st, almost one year after the flood began.
Whether he knocked a hole in the roof, or whether there had already been an
observation opening, or not, we are not sure. It really appears, to me, that
he removed roofing and went on top from the Scripture above. Again, this is
supposition, no one knows for sure.
At first glance, Noah could not see water on the ground, but land that
had been soaked with water that long, needed to dry thoroughly before Noah
could walk on it without bogging down. God had called Noah into the ark. God
would call him out. I can not overlook this symbolic message. When God calls
us to a place to work, we had better stay there, until God tells us it is
okay to leave.
Genesis 8:14 “And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day
of the month, was the earth dried.”
It was over a year since the flood began; a year and ten days to be
exact. It began on May 17th and ended on may 27th, one year later. It did
not rain a year, but the water was on the earth a year.
Genesis 8:15 “And God spake unto Noah, saying,” Genesis 8:16 “Go forth
of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with
thee.” Genesis 8:17 “Bring forth with thee every living thing that
[is]with thee, of all flesh, [both] of fowl, and of cattle, and of every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly
in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.”
In other words, turn them loose and let them go to make a home for
themselves. These few would repopulate the world.
Genesis 8:18 “And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his
sons’ wives with him:” Genesis 8:19 “Every beast, every creeping thing, and
every fowl, [and] whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds,
went forth out of the ark.”
Noah just opened the big door, and out they came. The same way they
went in. Noah did not drive them out. It was as if some power, far beyond
Noah’s, was calling them out. This particular area is rugged and has much
bad weather, so they most probably left the area, except for those for
Noah’s own personal use.
Genesis 8:20 “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of
every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on
the altar.”
Noah’s first thought was not of self, but God. Can you imagine the
thanksgiving Noah was bringing to God for saving his family. This is first
fruits worship. It really did not matter what day of the week it was. It was
Noah’s first thought to please God. God had not yet told His people what was
clean and unclean, but Noah was so tuned to God, that he knew what was
pleasing to Him. These altars were stones piled upon each other. Noah took
no thought of the cost of the loss of animals; he was more interested in
pleasing God.
Genesis 8:21 “And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in
his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for
the imagination of man’s heart [is] evil from his youth; neither will I
again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.”
This greatly pleased God. Noah had not only won blessings for himself,
but for all mankind. The Lord’s heart was touched by this unselfish act. God
knows that man has an evil heart, until he completely turns to God. This
sacrifice that Noah made, reconciled God to man. The ground would no longer
be cursed, but would grow. God said He would never again smite all mankind.
A great promise for all mankind was made by God in V-22.
Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold
and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
I cannot let this pass without taking note that this is while the earth
remains. There will be a time (after the 1000 year reign of Christ upon the
earth) when there will be a new heaven and new earth for this one will have
passed away.
In verse 22 not only a literal seedtime and harvest was meant. The
Bible said one will plant, another water, but God will get the increase. I
believe the planting days are about over. Harvest time is here. The fields
are white unto the harvest. God is about to gather us into His barn, and
there will be no night there, for we will be in the presence of the Light.
Night shall cease then. There will be one eternal day. Not until we are
carried home to be with God, will this be so.
Read chapter 9 of Genesis three times for the next lesson.